Autosleigh



Oct. 9, 1928. 1,687,455

F. A. KLEIN I AUTOSLEIG'H Filed Dec. 26: 4 Sheets-Sheet l W/TNES ES w :NI/ENTOR flaws/s ALBERT KLE/H.

A TTURNEYS Oct. 9, 1928.

F. A. KLEIN AUTOSLEIGH Filed Dec. 26, 1922 "I'- 4 Sheets-Sheet O k r"? 45 3 m INVENTOR FRANCIS ALBiig h, By W '4 ATTORNEYS F. A. KLEIN AUTOSLEIGH 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR FRA/vc/s Ami/i7? Filed Dec. 26. 1922 A TTORNE Y8 Oct. 9, 1928. 1,687,455

F. A. KLEIN AUTOSLEIGH Filed Dec. 26. 1,922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

FRANCIS ALBERT KLEIN; or XENIA; 01-110.

. A'U'rosLE'ieH;

Application filed December26, i922". seiiaim .eo8;982f

This invention relates to improvements in motor vehicles'and has for one of its objects to provide improvedmeans for facilitating the travel of the vehicle over snow' aii'dice covered surfaces; p l

Another object is to'provide runners for the vehicle which are so supported w1th'respect to the wheels thereof that the 'latter will have a yieldable vertical movement relative to said runners when traveling over f rough surfaces.

A further object is to provide novel adjustment for certain'of the runners whereby the same may be permanently elevated with respect to the wheelsof the vehicle and held in an elevated position out of contact with which the vehicle is ti'avel in stillfiirther object is to so constructthe.

runners that certain of them may be readily attached to thevehic le and others to certain of the wheels thereof.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly fIOIll'iilIe following detail 'd e-- scription, when'taken in connection with the accompanying drawings; which" illustrate several embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation ofa' motor vehicle showing one form of the invention. applied thereto; v j g Figure 2 is 'arear elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a section on the line "3'3 of F igure' 1; I I

Figure 4 is a section on thehnej4-4 or Figure 1;

Figure 5 isa section on the linen -5 of" p I wheel, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and Figure 1; i

F igure 6 IS a fragmentary-view similar to F igure 4: showing a'slightly different form ofrear runner; V

Figure 7 is a fragmentary rear elevation of'the runner illustrated in FigureG;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary top plan' viewis elevated with respect to the wheel and maintained in such position;

Figure ll is a sectional view n theli'ne 11-11ofFigure9; V i

Figure 12 is a similar 12-12 of Figure 10;

Figure 13 is a fragmentary side elevation of the runner shown in; Figure 9' detached associated parts removed 'froinlthe rear axle ofth'e vehicleiand'with' Figure 14 isa longitudinal section' throug'h' another form ofrear runner with the rear axle and other associatedparts removed;

Figure 15 is a rear elevation of another" -fo'rn i of the invention similar to that illustrated in Figure 2, but showing a different construction of spring mounting;

Figure 16is a view" similar to 'Figui-e 15' showing still another construction of spring mount ng; and

Figure'l'Z is a side elevation ofanothe'r somewhat siii'iil'ar' in mm form of rear runner StI'UCtl'OIi' to" that shown in Figure 1.

Referring-to the drawings,-and inore'p'a r inclusive, the nu-- moral 20 indicates a motorvehicle 'of'any desired construction and including the front.

ticularly to F igur'es'l to 5 view on the f line wheels' 21- a nd re ar wheels 22, the latterlof Y which aresupported the'reajr axle housing 23 i i any well known mar ner.

removing the pneumatictire therefro n. "The Each front wheel 2 1-is providedf vith a runner includes th'e'lower and 'upper' section's 24 and 25', both of which are of'subs'ta'ntially" arcuate formation and provided with tireengaging portions '26 and 27,, respectively, whichpartially 'ei'nbrace the tire of the front runner may-be made of wood, or any other; desirable material and the lowersection Misprovided with the concaved metallic tread; member 30. By this construction it will'be' apparentthat the forward runners may be readily and quickly attached toand detached from the front wheels.

In carrying out the inventionfit is preferable that the tires for the rear wheels 22 be removed and in their place a. tread member 31 for each wheel provided, which is mounted upon the rim of the wheel, as shown in Figure 5, and which is provided about its periphery with a plurality of spurs 32, which facilitate the travel of the vehicle over slippery sur faces. Associated with the rear wheels 22 and axle housing 23 is a rear runner 'includ-' ing an upper frame 33 of rectangular formation having transverse braces 34 joining the side members of the frame, said braces being connected to the end members of said frame by means of the rods 35, so as to form a rigid structure. The runner further includes the intermediate vertical members 36, which en gage in oppositely disposed grooves 37 formed in a block 38 carried by the axle housing ad acent eacliend thereof, said members 36 and block 38 cooperating to provide a guide which permits of vertical movement of the rear wheel 22 and axle housing 23 with respect'to the rear runner when said wheels are'passing over rough surfaces. In order that theverticalmovements of the wheels thus occasioned will not be transmitted to the frame of the runner, coil springs 39 are interposed between the blocks 38 and said frame and to which frame the'unde'rside of the body I 4, with the exception that theend members of g the frame 33 are extended beyond the wheels 22 and carry auxiliary side members 43 additionally supported by means of braces 44 and having depending therefrom vertical bracesv 45 carrying tread members 46 at the lower ends thereof, which are disposed outwardly of the adjacent rear wheel, thus providing four sets of tread members instead of two.

The rear runner illustrated in Figure 17 is substantially the same as that already described, except that the frame 47 thereof is arranged closer to the ground and the guide members 48 which are similar to the members 36 extend above said frame and are joined thereto by the diagonal braces 49 and the transverse brace 50. The block 51 which is similar to the block 38 and through which the axle housing extends has interposed therebetween and the transverse brace 50 the spring 52,'which is equivalent to the spring 39 and the tension of which may be regulated by means of a bolt or other device 53.

' Referring now to Figures 8 to 13 inclusive, the rear runner is shown as including a pair of side members 54, which are preferably made of metal and joined at their front and rear ends by the cross braces 55 and intermediate their ends by the brace 56. This brace 56 is detachably mounted upon the upper edge of 7 each member 54 by means of the channel members 57 which receive the upper edge of.- the adjacent side member, the latter being cut or reduced, as indicated at 58, for the purpose. At a point insubstantial vertical alignment with the intermediate brace '56 each side member 54 is provided with a vertically arranged slot 59 terminating at 'the'upper edge of the member and adapted to receive the axle housing 23, as clearly shown in Figurs 9 and10. A block 60 is carried by each end of the axle housing 23 and is providedwith vertical grooves61 (see Figure 8) for receiving the portions of the adjacent side member 54 forming the vertical edges of the slot 59. Secured to the upper end of the block 60 is a metallic housing 62 in whichis mounted a coil spring 63, the upper end of which bears against a plate 64, which is movable vertically in the housing, said spring and plate combining to form a yieldable support for the side members 54 forming a part of the runner. As in the constructions previously described, the rear wheels and axle housing 23 will have a vertical movement with respect to the members 54 constituting the rear runner against the tension of the springs 63 when the wheels are traveling over rough surfaces. Means are provided for elevating the rear runner when it is not desired to use the same i and to maintain the side members 54 of said runner in an elevated position. This means preferably includes a screw member 65 ad-' justably mounted in each end of the inter- 1 mediate brace 56 and'having its lower end engageable with the adjacent plate 64. WVhen the side members 54 are in engagement, with. the ground the parts are as shownin Figures 9 and 11 a-ndby turning thefscrew member 65 in a clockwise direction the same is forced downwardly against the tension of the spring 63 until this spring is compressed sufficiently to overcome the weight of the runner, whereupon further turning of thescrew member65 will cause the intermediate brace 56 and consequently the remaining parts of the runner to be elevated, as shown in Fig ures 10 and12, with the side members 54 out of contact with the ground. In order to lock the runner in its elevated positiorna lever 66 is pivoted to each side member 54, as inclicated at 67, and the free end of said lever is swung to engageja hook 68, also'fcar'ried by the side member, as illustrated in Figure 10. A latching plate 69 slidably and pivotally mounted on each lever 66 and provided with a recess 70 for receiving the axle housing 23 is then swung to the position shown in Figure 10 and when in this position will support the side members .54 of the runner upon the axle housing and thus prevent any downward movement of said members 54.

In the embodiment just described the rear runner is connected to the body of the vehicle by the usual leaf springs 71 connected at their ends to the brace 56.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 14, the rear runner is of substantially the same construction as that described inconnection with the embodiment shown in Figure 8 and includes the side members 54, each of which, instead of being provided with a slot 59 having vertical sides, is provided with an opening 72, which is of considerably greater Width at its upper end so as to readily receive the axle housing 23, after which a lever '73 pivoted at 74 may be swung to the dotted line position and engaged in one of the grooves 61 formed in the block 60. The free endof the lever 73 is provided with an opening 75 for receiving any suitable fastening device to secure said lever in its vertical dotted line position.

The constructions illustrated in Figures 15 and 16 are similar to that shown in Figure 2 and in addition thereto include, as in Figure 15, the single spring member 76 secured intermediate its ends to the frame 33 and having its ends attached to the axle housing 23. In Figure 16 two springs 77 of the full elliptical type are attached to the frame 33 and the housing 23.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with the axle of a vehicle, of grooved blocks on the axle, a frame, runners carried by the frame and each having port-ions working in the grooves of the blocks, housings on the blocks,v1; lates movable in the housings, springs in the housings and engaging the plates, said plates and spring "serving to yieldingly support the runners, and screws mounted in the frame and engaging the said plates. Y

2. In a wheeled vehicle, the combination with an axle therefor; of a runner for the vehicle through which said axle extends and which has vertical movement relative to said axle, guide members carried by said axle and engageable with said runner, means carried by said guide members for yieldingly supand engageable with said runner, means carried by said guide members for yieldingly axle, means cooperating with the last named means for vertically adjusting said runner, a lever pivoted to said runner adjacent the end of said axle, a supporting member pivoted to the lever and engageable with said axle for maintaining said runner in an elevated position, and means also carried by said runner and with which said levers are engaged to retain said supporting members in their operative positions.

FRANCIS ALBERT KLEIN.

supporting said runner With respect to said 

